Dentist’s ex-wife given suspended sentence for blackmail over divorce settlement
Dina Williamson admitted blackmail after threatening to report her former husband, dentist Ben Williamson, to the General Dental Council unless he paid her more from their divorce settlement. The court heard she then made a claim that he had been drinking between patients, prompting an investigation that could have threatened his career.
The GDC cleared Ben Williamson in February 2026, nine months after the complaint was made, and took no further action. Dina Williamson, 39, received a three-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months and a five-year restraining order; the court heard she acted out of desperation over money.
- A dentist’s ex-wife admitted blackmail over their divorce settlement.
- A false drinking-at-work complaint led to a nine-month investigation.
- She received a suspended sentence and a five-year restraining order.
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Divorce disputes sometimes escalate beyond disagreements over money, and this case illustrates how they can become entangled with professional regulation. Dina Williamson, the ex-wife of dentist Ben Williamson, demanded a larger settlement and threatened to report him to the General Dental Council, the regulator that oversees dentists in the UK. When he refused to meet her demands, she filed a complaint alleging he had been drinking whilst treating patients.
The complaint triggered a nine-month investigation by the General Dental Council. The regulator found no evidence to support the allegation and took no action against the dentist. Such investigations can pose serious consequences for a professional's career and reputation, particularly in heavily regulated sectors like dentistry where conduct is closely scrutinised.
Dina Williamson was subsequently prosecuted for blackmail based on her threat to report her ex-husband unless he paid more from their settlement. The case illustrates how complaints mechanisms that exist to protect the public from professional misconduct can become tools in personal disputes.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Dina Williamson's actions were undeniably criminal blackmail, but they emerged from acute financial desperation following divorce, and the suspended sentence represents appropriate judicial balance between accountability and proportionality. The court's decision acknowledges that punishment must sometimes accommodate human circumstances whilst still maintaining the rule of law, avoiding the counterproductive damage that imprisonment would have inflicted.
The case against
Blackmail is a grave crime involving extortion and false accusation specifically designed to threaten an innocent person's livelihood and career, and financial desperation cannot justify such conduct. Rigorous prosecution and meaningful punishment are essential to deter similar behaviour, protect vulnerable individuals from manipulation, and maintain the integrity of professional oversight systems that society depends upon.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “‘Embittered’ ex-wife tried to wreck her dentist ex-husband’s career with ‘malicious and salacious’ lies about him drinking between patients after she threatened him over divorce settlement”.